Many UK citizens still clueless about Wi-Fi

More than a third of the nation is still ignorant about wireless technology, according to research published on Thursday.

Forty percent of respondents to a Freedom2Surf survey didn't understand what Wi-Fi technology was, although the overwhelming majority of those surveyed who were aged between 16 and 24 claimed to know about it. Thirty percent of this group used high-speed wireless networks for Internet access more than once a week.

"The use of Wi-Fi hot spots is becoming increasingly mainstream, particularly among the younger age group," said Chris Panayis, managing director of Freedom2Surf. "The next challenge for the industry is to boost awareness of where hotspots are located and educate people who need to connect to the Internet on the move."

The report, which surveyed 1,000 people, found 40 percent of regular Wi-Fi users spent 10 minutes a day connected to a hot spot — a wireless connection point — while another 40 percent surfed for at least an hour in a single session.

More people in London were found to know about wireless than anywhere else in the UK, while people in Yorkshire were the least familiar with Wi-Fi.